The Salvation Trials ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Four

Winnie Melbourne

When I come to, my senses are filled with the thick smell of blood and snarling. There are screams, and one loud voice in particular sticks out to me.

"Don't let him touch Winnie!", Bronze roars. "Stop him, Ezra!"

I open my eyes and see a large tan wolf running towards where I lay with Ezra falling close behind. Ezra and I lock eyes and I feel the bond snap into place just as the tan wolf gets closer. I launch to my paws and lunge forward, surprising the male with my sudden consciousness and aggressiveness. We lock together, my teeth sinking into his shoulder as his grab my front paw. Before he can break the bones, Ezra tears him away from me and I follow the tan wolf before he's too far away.

With a snarl, I land on his back and dig my claws into his sides, holding myself on him while he bucks wildly to throw me off. I close my jaws around the back of his neck and tighten my hold just as he throws me off. I fall to the ground on my side and the male follows, exposing his stomach and right side of his throat. Ezra growls as he lunges forward and bites his stomach, ripping him open and allowing his intestines to spill onto the snow. The male howls in agony as I release him and I turn my attention to the next target, propelling myself forward and ripping a grey wolf off of James.

The wolf slips on the snow and crashes to the ground as I crush her under my large form, pinning her down as I rip out her throat. James quickly deals with the other wolf he's facing and then comes to my side, licking my cheek with a whine. I rub my cheek against his and then focus on Bronze as he shows the Alpha of White Mountain just what makes Bronze the Alpha of Black Mountain.

Bronze is vicious in his attacks, never once relenting and giving Alpha Sterlyn a chance. His white fur is coated with blood, giving him a deep red tint as he stands on unstable legs, swaying back and forth. Alpha Sterlyn lunges forward and snaps his jaws at Bronze but catches nothing except for a mouthful of fur. Bronze takes his miss as an opening and goes low, jaws wrapping around his throat.

Alpha Sterlyn goes rigid before slowly lowering himself to the ground, forcing Bronze to adjust his hold. The Alpha of White Mountain lays on the snow and exposes his belly, a clear sign of submission. My mate snarls one more time before releasing him and backing away, howling into the night air six times. Ezra howls twice and James howls three times, indicating the amount of wolves down so the Prime Alpha's council can keep track of how many contestants are left.

Bronze turns his attention to me and shifts, rushing over and yanking me into a hug. "Oh thank the Goddess.", he sighs. "I was worried."

I hug him back. "I'm okay, but there's some things I need to update all three of you on. We need to find a place to stay for the night so I can tell you what Mother Mene told me."

James nods and points towards the South. "There's a cabin not too far away from here. We were heading there when Alpha Sterlyn and his wolves caught up to us."

I nod and turn to face Ezra, meeting his gaze and holding it. "I'm sure you already know.", I mutter.

He nods with a blank expression and I feel a pang of hurt at his indifference before I shove it away and shift, walking in the direction James pointed in. Opening the link between Ezra and I, I fall back to walk next to him.

"I am sorry. If you do not want this, I will find another way to save us.", I say to him.

Ezra glances over at me before facing forward again. "It's not that, Winnie. It's unexpected and I'm scared.", he admits. "How will Bronze and James feel? It's bad enough that you have two other males out there. Now they have to share you with a third male."

"They'll have to get over it. It's Mother Mene's will and it's the only way to ensure our survival."

He doesn't say anything but I see him nod from the corner of my eye. I brush my side against his and run forward as the cabin comes into view, sniffing the air and keeping all my senses alert. James and Bronze scour the area as Ezra and I shift and creep into the small cabin. Once we deem it safe, I whistle softly outside and hold the door open for them before closing it and locking it behind them.

Once they shift, I hand them blankets to cover themselves and Ezra and I each take one. We sit on the dusty furniture and I stare at all three males before speaking.

"Mother Mene gave me bad news. The Clans have allied with the Flat Packs after the Prime Alpha gave them permission to do so. Our chance of survival is now at zero. We will die when the Clans come for us.", I say.

Bronze growls. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Is there anything we can do to change the outcome?", James asks, fighting back his rage and trying to remain logical.

I nod. "One thing. And it involves Ezra. She wants me to take Ezra as one of my mates. They won't be expecting the Spirit Warrior to be tied to me and it'll give us the edge we need to kill the leader of the Clans, Marcus Savlar, and disband them."

James shoots out of his chair, his anger finally winning. "It's bad enough I have to share you with three other males, and now you want me to share you with four?! No, not happening!", he snarls.

Bronze stays quiet as I stand and face James. "I don't have a choice in this. There is no other way."

"There has to be!"

"There's not!", I roar. "There is no other way. If there was, I would take it. I am basically taking away Ezra's free will. Either I mark him or we all die. Is that what you want?", I ask as I look Bronze, James, and Ezra in the eye. "Do you want to watch me be sacrificed at an alter, watch me be tortured by those fucking wolves?"

"No, of course not but-"

I cut James off. "There are no 'buts', James. Figure this the fuck out by the time I get back. I'm going hunting and when I get back, you better have made a decision. Either accept what Mother Mene wills, or we all die."

Before they can protest, I'm out the door and shifting as I jump off the porch and running into the surrounding forest.